1. Field of the Invention
The present inventions relate generally to the construction of water going vessels and more particularly to a catamaran having a steerable centerboard apparatus and an improved deck joint for securing the deck portion and hulls together.
2. Prior Art
Catamarans are well-known sailing vessels that by definition consist of a horizontal deck mounted on a pair of parallel hulls. The hulls are usually placed on opposite sides of the deck to provide a relatively stable craft. The use of the two spread apart hulls reduces the overall weight of the craft, thus increasing its overall speed. The width of each hull is usually very narrow to reduce the amount of drag on the craft, again increasing the speed of the craft. The sails that propel the catamaran usually provides ample power to move the catamaran on any body of water such as a pond, lake, river or ocean.
Most catamarans are constructed as a three piece unit that can be readily assembled by the user just prior to use. While some larger catamarans are constructed in a unitary fashion, i.e., the deck is permanently fastened to the hulls, most catamarans are recreational vessels that are required to be transported to the place of use on the tops of automobiles, vans and the like. This generally requires the user to assemble the craft when he reaches his destination and then to disassemble the craft when finished. Therefore, the catamaran has to be relatively easy to assemble.
The design of the catamaran permits its user to sit on the deck while manipulating the sail with his hands. Generally, steering is accomplished by maneuvering the sail with the direction of the wind to propel the craft to the desired location. Most catamarans are also equipped with rudders located at the stern of both of the hulls to aid in steering the craft. Generally, when one wishes to make a slight maneuver with the catamaran, one merely turns the tiller attached to both rudders to move the rudders in the proper direction. However, when a sharp and sudden turn is required, one must usually properly position the sail with the wind and simultaneously turn the rudders to accomplish a successful sharp turn. This type of turn requires substantial skill in order to do these steps simultaneously. A mistake on the part of the sailor can result in the catamaran flipping over.
In order to provide greater stability to the catamaran, another device, namely a daggerboard, centerboard or keel, is placed beneath the middle of each hull where it extends vertically down into the water to help prevent the catamaran from slipping sidways. The daggerboard, centerboard or keel is a long, flat board which is placed with its broad surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the hulls of the craft. The daggerboard, centerboard or keels are thus useful in reducing sideways drift induced by the wind and sail interaction. The daggerboard, centerboard or keels are also helpful in "anchoring" the middle of the catamaran when making sharp turns. Without the centerboard, the catamaran is susceptible to so much lateral movement that the the craft cannot be tacked upwind under extreme conditions.
It is important to note the catamarans typically utilize fixed rigging with masts tied to both hulls. As a result, catamarans tip to one side when sailed and are frequently sailed with one hull out of the water. This tilted attitude thus requires that each hull be equipped with a rudder and daggerboard, centerboard or keel.
Our invention relates to catamarans with rigging that can be adjusted to allow both hulls to remain in the water essentially without tipping to the side.
One of the major drawbacks in prior art catamarans is the difficulty in steering the craft. Generally, on larger sized catamarans, steering requires considerable sailing skills and expertise on the part of the user. This can be a serious drawback to the novice or intermediate sailor who lacks most of these necessary skills. The major problem in steering the catamaran is that the sailor usually has to use both hands to work the sail but yet needs another hand to turn the tiller. On larger sized catamarans, the sail can be so difficult to manage that two people would be required to maneuver the boat; one to handle the sail and the other to steer the rudder. This can cause obvious problems to the user who wishes to sail alone.
The drawbacks in steering the catamaran are heightened if the user wishes to stand on the deck of the catamaran and sail the vessel much like a sailboard. Since a catamaran cannot be steered by shifting body weight and the sail as can be done with a sailboard, a specific steering mechanism would be needed. A rudder located on the hull would not be satisfactory since the user's hands would remain on the sail rigging during use. Therefore, another person would have to steer the rudder while the other person holds the sail. Therefore, there is a need for a new device which permits the user to simultaneously turn the rudder while holding the sail.
Additional drawbacks found on most conventional catamarans included the difficulty in assembling and dissembling the the hull and deck units. As previously mentioned, most smaller recreational catamarans are constructed in a three piece assembly to facilitate transportation of the craft. Once the user reaches his destination, such as a beach or lake, he is required to put the unit together. This generally requires that the catamaran be rather simple to put together, since most people do not possess the mechanical skills needed to assemble a complex unit. Further, most people do not want to carry the tools needed to fasten the hull and deck portions together. Also, fastening devices such a nut and bolt assembly or similar fasteners are generally avoided since they can be easily lost in the sand or water during assembly or later when the device is in the water. Therefore, there is a need to create a catamaran which is quick and easy to assemble but yet possesses the necessary stability and rigid construction for sailing through even the roughest of water.